1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer software, particularly for use in manipulating and printing graphic images.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional graphics programs manipulate either bitmaps or vector-based drawings. Vector-based drawings have the advantage of being more readily scalable without significant loss of detail. Scaling bitmapped graphics can result in visible defects, such as aliasing (sometimes known as "jaggies" for the stair-step edges that appear along diagonal lines of enlarged bitmapped images). Bitmapped images also tend to have large file sizes, and are difficult to edit to change text, line placement, etc. Vector-based drawings are thus commonly preferred for images that need to be revised. However, printing or displaying a vector-based drawing generally requires that a bitmap rendering be performed at some time, since most printers and display monitors are raster-scanned bitmap devices.
One common vector-based system, Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), stores vector information as data and commands, requiring a special parsing program to interpret such information and render a rasterized output for print or display purposes. Such parsing and rendering is often time consuming. Special PostScript compatible (PS) printers are generally required to print EPS files.
Conventional bitmap graphics programs can often import EPS files, but store any resulting output as bitmap files and can only print as bitmaps on PS printers and non-PS printers. Vector-based programs that can directly manipulate EPS files must print to PS printers to obtain the highest quality output.
The present invention is directed to an improved method of manipulating EPS files such that a single, integrated program can print to both PS printers and non-PS printers at the highest output quality available.